SKILL ACQUISITION AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF AKWA IBOM
As Ajegi (2002) rightly observed, the poverty situation in Nigeria has indeed assumed a crisis dimension. Records from the Bureau of statistics show that about 67% of Nigerians live below the poverty line. The data further reveal that only 50% of the population has access to safe drinking water, while 38% cannot avail themselves of primary health care. It is estimated that about 70% of Nigerians consume less than 1/3 the minimum protein and vitamin intake due to low purchasing power. This statistics shows the very depth of poverty in Nigeria. It is dehumanizing and can be rated as a killer disease, which has assumed an epidemic state. Any responsible government will not go to sleep with such a terrible situation. The government of Nigeria through most of her policies and programmes has made tremendous effort towards changing the scenario in the country. Despite the effort of government in this direction, the “poverty virus” is getting more entrenched and spreading wider among the populace. This incidence is higher among the youth who falls within the age bracket of 15-35. The untrained and unskilled youth grows into an unemployable man who cannot be employed because of his lack of marketable skills to be engaged in a job that can adequately support his family. This makes it impossible for him to provide for his children in terms of education both at the formal and informal level to guarantee his wards self-sufficiency. Thus, the cycle continue with the generation after generation propagating this vicious cycle of poverty.
Available data also clearly indicate high and varying poverty level among the local governments in Akwa Ibom State. The data further showed that poverty in Akwa Ibom State increased sharply between 1998 – 2007. For instance, in 1998 the poverty level in Akwa Ibom State was 10.2 percent, and in 2001 it was 41.9 percent, in 2004 it rose to 45.5% and in 2005, it increased to 66% and in 2007, it hit 71%. Based on these facts, poverty and unemployment level in Akwa Ibom State is therefore indicated as indespread and deep-rooted. This is because the opportunities for sustainable livelihood are minimal. It is also a fact that in Akwa Ibom State the public section is the dominant job provider and this has serious implications on youth employment in the state.
With respect to the above, a revolution in vocational skill development has been observed among youths in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
This skill acquisition spread across many vocations like tailoring, shoe making, carpentry, furniture, hair dressing, catering services, welding, automotive mechanic, computer business service, etc. The idea is that, if youths who were previously unskilled and unemployed develop themselves in any of the vocations mentioned above, or any other food trade, one can forecast that in the nearest future, the local economy of Uyo Local Government Area vis-à-vis Akwa Ibom State, would be transformed with the youth empowered financially to contribute to economic growth and development of the Local Government and the State at large.
Powerful alleviation programme in Akwa Ibom State is focused on Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES). The scheme emphasizes on providing for training opportunities, skills acquisition, employment opportunities and wealth creation through enhanced income generation, improved social status and rural development. The scheme is primarily aimed at economically empowering the youth and emphases Capacity Acquisition Programme (CAP), Mandatory Attachment Programme (MAP) and Credit Delivery Programme (CDP). As a means of overcoming the difficulties of the past poverty alleviation programmes in tackling youth unemployment, the government of Akwa Ibom State decided to adopt Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) as a viable strategy in tackling youth unemployment. The key advantages of YES include the following:
i. It allows for tackling of poverty from a broad perspective so that the necessary impact can be felt by the youths;
ii. It builds a powerful sustained pressure (synergy) for fighting poverty through broad based participation in employment and wealth creation; and
iii. It provides a single strategy for tackling multi-poverty related and employment crisis. For instance, investment led centre of activities touches on different features of poverty by reducing them
SKILL ACQUISITION AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF AKWA IBOM
